Happy New Year!

well that ends the year on a high note... ha

Today we went and did a little shopping, but I wanted to surprise the guys with a swim at the pool.  And so we pull in there and they are all - why are we here - I tell them there is a pool here... blank looks - I can see them processing it - 'we know there is a pool here' ... sooooooo - we get to go swimming - hooray.

So we go in and play in the big pool and the little pool and have lots of fun... and it is time to go - I'm giving the 10 minute warning (again) but we are leaving and then Kyle kicks off the foam thing in the pool and trashes my nose... I didn't even see it coming - all I know is that it happened and my brain told me to get out of the pool 'cause you are bleeding.  I get over to the edge and I'm bleeding all over the place - I pull myself out of the pool and the guys get out and we wander into the first aid room.  The first aid girl is a bit surprised by all the blood and says - more than once - you're really bleeding - I take it in stride because I'm a bleeder and this is life - but holy crap - it hurts - I've never been kicked right in the nose/teeth before and now my nose feels like it is broken - I don't want to move it much because any movement is painful and my teeth still feel jiggly... if that makes any sense.

Anyhow there you go - now we are at home - Kyle and I are going to play and Michael wants to watch a movie.  Good times - good times.

break photos

This is my new laptop bag.  Hooray - I love ESPE!

Plus it came with a great shopping bag.

This is tonight's mess - Max found 2 toilet paper rolls

and promptly destroyed them - this is part way through clean up

Sushi making on Boxing Day - Kyle totally got into it 

He picked the filling for all of the rolls - and then ate lots :)

Two cute boys

This is the reason why Max destroyed the toilet paper rolls

The boys both got spy gear - the sunglasses let you see behind you

Hello - I've had too many cookies - but hey... what's one more cupcake

Mmmmmm.... cupcakes - direct from the Quesnel Bakery to our bellies

A pretty spice picture - the beginning of yummy chocolate ginger cookies

They were delicious!  Ok - I didn't really eat them but they smelled awesome

just testing something

Hi - I just needed a place to test this out...

loved it then, love it now

well i see by the clock on the wall that it's time to wish you one and all - good bye (stay well) bye bye (keep warm) relax (at ease) take care (stay loose) adieu mon vieux , a la prochaine, goodbye until we meet again

no title

ROAR

That is all.  Just needed to get it off my chest.

day maker

Save.ca has some great coupons right now - if you are down with coupon cutting... this also made my day - I'd forgotten that I'm registered as Ms. Queen of the Universe - excellent.... excellent...

Alright - and now to figure out what else to do today.... maybe the library... the boys are playing with their GIANT "AT-AT" toys they got from their aunty...

Oh and I also got the best gift of all today - a birthday cake with hair in it - AWESOME! Thanks, Mom.  (seriously)

sitting there

So you have a few minutes this morning to watch something... this is it - this is the clip to spend two and half minutes on...  this is pretty amazing

this day keeps getting better

So most of the afternoon and tonight I've been feeling terrible - I've blown (literally) through two boxes of tissue and I just opened the third - I can't sleep because my eyes are burning and to blink actually stings... blah - stupid damned colds... and so what do I do... watch hoarders... it is always motivation to chuck crap out and with any luck I'll fall asleep...

Oh and our christmas tree is falling down - so it is going tomorrow - it has begun to lean so the ornaments are coming off just in case it decides to tumble in the night... awesome - super honkin' awesome!

pretty standard

Most of my Christmas cards this year got something like... Season's Greetings and best wishes for 2011... I sent very few cards this year compared to other years... sad, really - but I want to send more cards/notes all year round as it doesn't need to be focused around a holiday.  There are a lot of things I did want to communicate this year and there were many other notes that I'd wished I sent - I've also been asking other people about the cards they would have sent or would have liked to have sent ... so I've compiled a few to share with you (I know.. you are sitting there right now thinking - I am so freakin' lucky - it is my freakin' lucky day - this is better than winning 6'49)

stupid weather

So it has been super warm here (super warm = plus nine) and sadly, I started adjusting to the new temps and tonight we are sliding back the other way.  It is only at zero but they (the weather guru's) are forecasting down to minus 18 in the next three days.. brrrrrrrrr - that said they were also calling for snow from Wednesday through the weekend and now the snow is gone - it may show up on New Year's day...

There is green grass here - green grass... tomorrow it will be frozen green grass and then it will be really frozen green grass... where did winter go - or rather, the snow... it is going to be a sad spring if we don't get some more.

blah

Ok - so I have a small cold and then today it appears that Andy and I both ate something that has given us some kind of food poisoning - amen to two bathrooms - I know - TMI - but seriously - I don't care - wait I do - I love you and thank you for reading my rants and raves...

We made sushi for dinner - photos later - Kyle ate a bunch of it and pretty much picked what went in each one - it was fun... and I think it would have been better last night rather than turkey... I'm feeling like it was the leftover turkey that has betrayed us - damned turkey - damn you!

So I'm going to go and format a computer and then I think... go to sleep - or rather - try to sleep as we have the king of the stupid dogs living with us and he is on a sugar high and I'm not sure when he is going to come off it - seriously.  He ate one of those giant kinder packages this afternoon - there are at least two giant eggs inside - gone... gone in his belly and because that wasn't enough he had a chocolate letter M - nice... classic - so he kind of laid around this afternoon and then about an hour ago started getting nuts.. he is growling at himself, running around like a nut and doing stuff that he normally doesn't... he is soo stupid.  I can't believe he ate so much chocolate. Anyways... I'm going to get going on this computer thing and then post photos later - unless this food poisoning stuff gets worse... blah...

today

Well we had a busy day full of family and laughter and joy and games and some shouting... but it was all good... I need sleep - I wish all of you well - love to you!  and hugs and kisses... photos tomorrow

garbage dog

Last night Max decided to destroy the garbage - there was a variety of snack options - including some potato wedges that he packed onto the couch to enjoy - awesome!

So there are no presents under the tree as we know he will destroy them.

One more day or rather 1/2 day and then I'm off for a few... not much else to report - pretty boring today - went shopping at the zoo tonight (walmart) and was shocked at the number of people out and really really shopping... I need some stuff for dinners for the next few nights and few small things... but there were people with carts super full and just a lot of people for it being after 10pm.

And now - to bed - and tomorrow I'll be wrapping... unless I can't sleep tonight and then... it will be on :)

anti-christmas music

BC Hydro must LOVE this!  I bet they'd be happy if we all tried this out.

I'm also really happy that this isn't to Christmas music and that it is to the hump music in American Pie... :)

what are you doing

You should be getting ready to go outside for the lunar eclipse.  Paula and I did this back in 1997 at UNBC - sat in the snow and watched - we (I) may have been drinking... and so if you can get outside to enjoy it - try to - it will be worth your while... it should start up at about 10:30 (Pacific time) and be in "darkness" for midnight-ish - happy viewing :)

right...

So what did we get accomplished - not much... I made soup - that is all - sadly my sister won't be here for the holidays. She was trying to drive here tonight and they turned around in Canmore because the roads were too bad and visibility was not great... sad for sure - but safety is far more important - far, far, far more important.

And so... tomorrow we will work on all the baking and have some fun while the weather stays frightful (minus 20 or colder - blah)

and this afternoon

We went out in the madness to pick up a few things and now we are going to cook... on the menu tonight - chewy gingerbread cookies, chocolate haystacks, caramel popcorn, and ham and corn chowder...

photos to follow :)

drawings

This is a Michael drawing - I'm the big blueberry with red lights on my shoulders... then Max is in the middle and Michael ... he is practicing his letters and drawing everyday right now - it is so fun to watch him improve and add details.

Finished making rice krispy squares...  and now...  I'm looking up a quick recipe - just for kicks....

"all you need is love, all you need is love, love is all you need"

solutions

And so... I clean... and be a grown up and bake.

So I just finished making banana bread (which I actually don't enjoy) and now I'm going to make rice krispies... and then I don't know what I'll do... too early for bed, too late for some baking projects...

Ah... maybe a glass of wine... maybe.... plus singing...  just like back in university when 'binder use to find me belting out bette midler like a moron... now there is a throw back for you... do you remember that... I remember you catching me once when we lived with kelly and liz... just one of those nights...

love to you - kisses and smooches ;)

ROAR

Max destroyed my frog wallet tonight (ESPE) - not happy - not happy one little bit...

and what is wrong with the freakin' weather - plus FOUR and now it is MINUS eight - I'm getting too old for this!

And... I want a cleaning fairy - I really really want that - I want the hoarding people (not that it is even close to that bad) to come over and just purge and... and - well I'm just disliking being a grown up tonight... blah!

interesting

A facebook intern has mapped friendship connections... see the pictures and read his post here...
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=469716398919

and in the comedy corner

"Mom, want to play a game?"

Ok

"What starts with the letter 'g'?"

Got any more clues?

"nope - it starts with g"

goat, grape, glove, godzilla

"no"

sure, that there aren't any more clues

"it is blue"

it is blue and starts with the letter g

"yes"

ok... it isn't grape

"it isn't grape"

hmmmmmm

At this point he looks at me like I'm the slow kid and says,

"Mom - look...."

And so he turns over this card with the picture of the thing that starts with g that is blue and says...

"See it is a blue surf board"

AWESOME!

tea

Lucky me I got some new teas....

I got some mistletoe tea - from Steeped - the new tea shop in Downtown Quesnel and some all nut (with a little apple) tea from David's tea.

They are yummy - little bit of honey and it is all good :)

Now off to have a cup...

(yes, this quick post means that I had a crappy day and frankly I have nothing to really say that is positive or uplifting.. oh wait - I do have one thing - heyyyyyy stupid people - a cappuccino is not a fancy italian word for regular coffee, if you ever go back to starbucks (doubt it) ask for a tall (small), grande (medium), venti (large) coffee.... kah-fee... - I watched a grown man get mad - very mad - because there was foam in his cappuccino and what the hell was it doing in there...  for five cents! mad people - go home and be mad there - leave your anger and hate for the world somewhere else - your anger does nothing for you except shorten your life expectancy - if you wore a smile you'd live longer and be a joy to be with... and hey - if you'd have smiled at the starbucks lady instead of being a total douche bag she would probably have made you another drink to make your day but instead she did nothing because you were an asshole!)

northern bc dinosaur

Tonight I headed out to Nazko to pick up the boys and came around the corner to this beauty.

If' I'd been to busy to notice this guy I would nearly have driven under him in my CRV - he was a beast!

And now off to watch some hockey.

PS - Tuesday night - another meteor shower - after 10pm until dawn - get out and enjoy it - 

what else kept us busy tonight...

Here are the guys getting ready to help out with an experiment chocolate.

I've been reading about cake pops (bakerella) online and at the library and thought

we'd give it a try tonight... so first... we made a cake... white - no yokes...

And here is the yummy cake baking in the oven

So then...  and I know how stupid this is going to sound - you bust the crap

out of your cake after it has cooled completely... then you mix the cake crumble with a 1/2 a can of frosting

Ok - so you mix that up and then you form balls - now mine were about a tablespoon each and that was wayyyyyy too much - it could be half that and be quite enjoyable at that size... but this being an experiment - I didn't know any better.... so they stay in the freeze for about 15-20 minutes to really cool off

So then I dipped each one in chocolate - I really wanted to do white chocolate but didn't have enough 

then I topped each one with a tree

And this is a half eaten one - I actually couldn't stomach much more because they are super sweet and it is midnight and that was enough... I'll definitely make them again - half the size and likely with a chocolate cake... maybe tomorrow nights adventure... 

Good night my loves! love and kisses to you!

WHAT

Who thought that adapting "Time of My Life" was a good idea - I know - by writing this I'm showing that I'm not up on my much music - but what the freakin' heck!  That just makes me mad and want to throw things at the tv.  Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Alright... need to find something else to do that doesn't include much music... or at least until that song ends... I mean really... really....

Ok - I'll stop complaining... for right now.

it made me laugh

today

December 8 - TODAY - is my lovely sister's birthday!
She has had an exciting year and the year ahead looks to be amazing.  Happy Birthday to you my lovely dear sister and best wishes for the most fantastic year ahead with your beautiful little baby!

LOVE YOU!

ps. I'm also so glad that the hole in my pants was able to get you laughing :)  fantastic... that must have been the reason why that whole situation happened - to ensure that I could provide you with a laugh for your birthday - since I couldn't get my shit together to get you anything else...

because I'm classy like that

Tonight I went to Safeway to grab some chow for dinner - so we toured Safeway - and I ended up running through twice because I forgot something the first time... and during my second run through I realize I'm wearing my yoga pants backwards - now it isn't that big a deal because really - they are black all the way around and there isn't a difference between the front and back.. ok - so maybe there is... but let's just play along and say that that is ok...

Alright - so I get home - we get settled and I go into the bathroom to turn my pants around and then I remember why I'd tucked these pants away - you see I dug them out tonight and just tossed them on - and forgot... forgot that there was a good size hole in the front  of them... ahhhhh but that was on the back tonight while I did grocery shopping - AWESOME!

Yes, that's right - some good old classy april ass was showcased at our local safeway tonight... woohoo!
good times... good times :)

the power of the internet

More than a year ago I listened to this... http://www.youtube.com/user/PomplamooseMusic#p/c/F125407272F3C1A4/6/oIr8-f2OWhs - it is a cover of Single Ladies (Beyonce) that Pomplamoose did - I liked it because it was something different... and then tonight as I sat watching 'You've Got Mail' a Hyundai commercial comes on and start thinking - man that is a similar style to Pomplamoose... and sure enough, it is them... great work, Pomplamoose!  You guys are awesome and I hope to hear more of your great re-mixes.

Watch the Pomplamoose Hyundai commercial here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-c7YR2eJq_4

Onward and sideways - love to you!

Death cannot stop true love, it can only delay it for a while

weekend lowlights... (if that's a word)

Word to the wise... if you get ill from spiders, mold or nasty comments from me - stop reading here... please... 

Yes... this is me actually giving you a break in space to stop those with weak constitutions and opportunity to not view the items below - although if you want to see the photos of the kids being cute at the parade you are going to have scroll past these nasty photos... alright - so fine.. I'm hoping then that you simply closed the page down - rather than carried on reading... or whatever...

One of the local restaurants has started to incorporate penicillin into their orders.

Now this actually made me more antsy then the disgusting burger.. this is a box of decorations, direct from China - this is a spider - and yes - it is alive... because I totally poked it.  It didn't move far, but it made me think about our consumerism yet again and how that endless shopping can go wrong - terribly wrong... 

So, boys and girls, what did we learn this weekend...

1. that preparing meals at home is smarter than eating out

2. that you should really wash all the stuff that comes from china (on one of my recent field trips for work I met a person who regularly ships stuff overseas - they explained that everything - EVERYTHING - that comes over to Canada from China is fumigated and if it hasnt been fumigated it won't be let into the port... fumigated... I wonder if that is on the label)

3. that having cameras on cell phones is totally valuable! 

weekend highlights

Kyle - hamming it up :)

The boys at the Santa Parade - road in style with the Mayor 

The light up for the footbridge - it is pretty amazing!

 Fireworks off the roof at Granville's in Downtown Quesnel

And then today... we found a tree at Moose Meadows Farm

And then we put some ornaments on it... here is my favorite one... 

this morning

Michael wanted to share some cookies this morning with his class... so here he is at the Quesnel bakery picking out his treats this morning.  I'm pretty sure we will make a trip there tomorrow since we couldn't get what he wanted this morning - what else but one of their yummy long johns - then the boys will be in the christmas parade - so more photos tomorrow night.

Love to you!  xxoo

coffee

Alright friends, family, hot sexy people who frequent this site... I see you... :)  I'm in search of the best coffee maker.  I have a four-potter that we used for camping and I also have my "high-tech" kitchen sieve process for making coffee... what is the best way to make coffee...

We have a Keurig at work (Ferguson) - he doesn't work very well - sometimes he likes to make three cups of coffee instead of the one we asked for - little crazy... but he fits in... plus we have the regular, unleaded 12 cupper that most offices have...

Does anyone have the Tassimo?

What about the old school pots?  I'm thinking of getting an old steep model from the antique shop (percolator).

Thoughts? Suggestions...

december

12:08 - it is officially December

I know - you are equally as excited as I am


Magic Erasers
A few years ago I spent some time assessing the Magic Erasers and couldn't find what the ingredient was that caused everything to be cleaned with such ease.  I have still not figured this out - however - the last time I used them it took the skin off my fingers.

And the answer is....
Magic Erasers have a melamine foam and no formaldehyde - I found a story about a child that had rubbed it on his arms and face and it burned him - so note to self - don't try to remove make up with Magic Erasers... was sooo going to try that tonight... so I guess that explains why my finger tips were a mess after the last use - it is probably the first time that I've used an entire eraser in one day... maybe that over use did it... so what is the good news story here - well it means that I should do less house work and relax more... ok, so maybe that isn't the moral of the story, but sit back for a moment, and let's discuss how we can make that work :)

xxoo - happy December